http://hdl.handle.net/10315/6208 2013-05-19T14:51:50Z 2013-05-19T14:51:50Z Richardson, Julia http://hdl.handle.net/10315/6311 2013-05-08T16:52:30Z 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Managing flexworkers: holding on and letting go Richardson, Julia Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore what it means to be a manager in the context of working from home, or "flexworking", as an increasingly common work practice. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is located within an interpretive interactionist perspective, drawing on interviews with managers who took part in a larger qualitative study of employees who work from home two or more days a week in the Canadian subsidiary of a high-tech MNC. Template analysis identified themes which are most salient in managers" experiences of managing these "flexworkers". Findings - The findings point to several key themes in interviewees' experiences of managing flexworkers: maintaining a balance between providing autonomy alongside appropriate levels of cohesion between themselves and employees and between employees; the increasing importance of trust and the centrality of interpersonal relationships and interactions. Research limitations/implications - A limitation is a relatively small sample size (27) in the Canadian hi-tech industry. Also, the findings may not be applicable to other industries or to managers in other countries. The paper's location within an interpretive interactionist framework accords primary focus to individual action rather than structural forces. Practical implications - Contemporary management development initiatives should balance communication and support, while avoiding micromanagement. They should also develop managers' ability to ensure that social bonds are maintained but do not undermine the principles of flexwork. Originality/value - There is a paucity of qualitative research on flexworking in Canada. Moreover, the paper contributes a theoretical understanding of this work arrangement, whereas previous research has been primarily descriptive.

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z Richardson, Julia McBey, Ken McKenna, Steve http://hdl.handle.net/10315/6310 2013-05-08T16:42:10Z 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z

Integrating realistic job previews and realistic living conditions previews: realistic recruitment for internationally mobile knowledge workers Richardson, Julia; McBey, Ken; McKenna, Steve Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of realistic job previews (RjPs) and realistic living conditions previews (RLCPs) during the recruitment of a group of internationally mobile knowledge workers who elect to go overseas independently rather than as part of an overseas assignment. It also aims to explore individual perceptions of the value of RjPs and RLCPs in contributing to work and general living adjustment. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on a qualitative study of international faculty in six Canadian universities using in-depth interviews to examine their experiences of recruitment and focusing specifically on the extent to which RjPs and RLCP were provided. Findings - The findings reflect the need for realistic recruitment that includes information about position specifications and responsibilities as well as non-organizational factors such as opportunities for spousal employment. Thus, respondents did not conceptualize the recruitment process in terms of two separate components of "job" (RjP) and "living conditions" (RLCP). Instead realistic recruitment emerged as a holistic process, with each individual having hislher own differential weighting of the relative importance of different factors. Research limitations/implications - The sample comprises mostly white-western faculty, thus ethnic minority faculty are underrepresented. Further research might also explore the perceptions and experiences of international recruiters. Originality/value - The paper extends the current literature on RjPs and RLCPs to consider internationally mobile knowledge workers who elect to go overseas independently. Located within an interpretive perspective it also enhances our understanding of individual experiences and the need for a more holistic approach to international recruitment.

2008-01-01T00:00:00Z McKenna, Steve Garcia-Lorenzo, Lucia Bridgman, Todd http://hdl.handle.net/10315/6309 2013-05-08T15:22:00Z 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Managing, managerial control and managerial identity in the post-bureaucratic world McKenna, Steve; Garcia-Lorenzo, Lucia; Bridgman, Todd Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the issues involved in managerial control and managerial identity in relation to the idea of a post-bureaucratic organization. In addition it introduces the papers in this special issue. Design/methodology/approach - The paper identifies the increasing complexity of issues of managerial control and managerial identity that arise from the idea of a post-bureaucratic organization and post-bureaucratic working practices, such as flex-work and project management. Findings - The paper suggests that the form and nature of managerial control and managerial identity are constantly evolving and in a state of flux as a consequence of processes of (de)bureaucratization and (re)bureaucratization. Originality/value - The paper raises important questions about the nature of management in post-bureaucratic work environments and challenges the behaviourist competencies approach to developing managers.

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z McKenna, Steve http://hdl.handle.net/10315/6308 2013-05-08T17:01:51Z 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Managerial narratives: a critical dialogical approach to managerial identity McKenna, Steve Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of a dialogical approach, associated with the Russian literary critic and philosopher Bakhtin, in understanding the portrayal of managerial identity in management narratives. In particular, it applies these ideas critically to understand how managers' identities are partly shaped by the dominant discourse or idea about what a manager should "be." Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on three written narratives of managers. It applies a dialogical approach to consider how they position themselves interactionally in the narratives in such a way as to highlight a managerial identity based on being "enterprising" and "for change," while simultaneously voicing alternative identities negatively. The use of the written narratives of managers and the application of a dialogical approach is an important contribution to the literature. Findings - The findings suggest that managers, when reflecting on organizational events through narrative, assume a managerial identity that reflects current dominant discourse about what a manager should ''be.'' In doing so they reject other possible discourses that offer alternatives, not only to managerial ''being,'' but also to what management and organizations might reflect and represent. The paper also, however, recognizes that some managers reject this identity and its implications for organizational activity. Research limitations/implications - The paper suggests that managerial identity is partly a product of a dominant discursive/ideological formation rather than individual choice. Although managers may reject this interpellation creating an alternative is constrained by the regime of truth that prevails about what management is at any given time. The approach might be considered overly deterministic in its view of managerial identity. Originality/value - The paper extends the understanding of managerial identity and how it is portrayed through narrative by using a dialogical approach to interpretation.

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z